Poor broadband connectivity has severely affected banking services in parts of the Northeast for the last two weeks, an MP from Arunachal Pradesh said on Wednesday and asked the Centre to address the issue.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, Congress member Ninong Ering said lakhs of people have been affected by disruption of the banking services due to poor internet connectivity.

"How will people go for cashless transactions when the internet connectivity is very poor? The banking services have been affected in various areas of the Northeast for last two weeks. The problem must be addressed at the earliest," he said.

He said laying of optical fibre cable has been affected in the Northeastern region due to "red tapism" and the central government should intervene in the matter.

AIUDF member from Assam Badaruddin Azmal talked about delay in finalising the National Register of Citizens in the state and asked the Centre to look into the issue.

BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab sought relaxation of norms under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme so that infrastructure development of small cities can also be taken up under it.

The Centre has planned to invest nearly one lakh crore rupees for strengthening infrastructure of 500 cities under the Smart Cities Mission and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme.

The Atal Mission covers cities and towns with a population of one lakh and above, Mahtab noted and said it should be brought down to 35,000 population so that small cities can also benefit.

The government on Wednesday said it has not accepted 'most of the demands' of iphone maker Apple which wants to set up manufacturing unit in India.

To a question in Rajya Sabha on whether the government has accepted most of the demands of the iphone manufacturer, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: "No".

Apple India has sought concessions including duty exemption on manufacturing and repair units, components, capital equipment and consumables for smartphone manufacturing and service/repair for a period of 15 years, she said in a written reply.

In a communication to the government, the Cupertino-based technology major has asked for incentives from the Department of Revenue and Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeITy).

Apple also wants relaxation in the mandated 30 per cent local sourcing of components.

It also wants reduction in customs duties on completely- knocked-down and semi-knocked-down units of devices that are to be assembled in the country.

In January, Apple had indicated to the government that it is ready with a blueprint to begin manufacturing iPhones in India, but wants fiscal concessions, including Customs duty waiver on import of components.

Apple executives had made a detailed presentation to an inter-ministerial group headed by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Secretary Ramesh Abhishek on its road map.

With sales tapering in the US and China, Apple is eyeing India — the fastest-growing smartphone market in the world — and looking to set up a local manufacturing unit to cut costs.

It, however, does not manufacture devices on its own and does it through contract manufacturers.

The company sells its products through Apple-owned retail stores in countries like China, Germany, the US, the UK and France, among others. It has no wholly-owned store in India and sells its products through distributors such as Redington and Ingram Micro.

The government on Wednesday said it has not accepted 'most of the demands' of iphone maker Apple which wants to set up manufacturing unit in India.

To a question in Rajya Sabha on whether the government has accepted most of the demands of the iphone manufacturer, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: "No".

Apple India has sought concessions including duty exemption on manufacturing and repair units, components, capital equipment and consumables for smartphone manufacturing and service/repair for a period of 15 years, she said in a written reply.

In a communication to the government, the Cupertino-based technology major has asked for incentives from the Department of Revenue and Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeITy).

Apple also wants relaxation in the mandated 30 per cent local sourcing of components.

It also wants reduction in customs duties on completely- knocked-down and semi-knocked-down units of devices that are to be assembled in the country.

In January, Apple had indicated to the government that it is ready with a blueprint to begin manufacturing iPhones in India, but wants fiscal concessions, including Customs duty waiver on import of components.

Apple executives had made a detailed presentation to an inter-ministerial group headed by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Secretary Ramesh Abhishek on its road map.

With sales tapering in the US and China, Apple is eyeing India — the fastest-growing smartphone market in the world — and looking to set up a local manufacturing unit to cut costs.

It, however, does not manufacture devices on its own and does it through contract manufacturers.

The company sells its products through Apple-owned retail stores in countries like China, Germany, the US, the UK and France, among others. It has no wholly-owned store in India and sells its products through distributors such as Redington and Ingram Micro.

Singer Mariah Carey has announced that her 1994 hit song All I want for Christmas is you will be adapted into an animated movie.

Carey made the announcement over Twitter on Tuesday.

"My song is becoming a movie! You're the first to hear about this exciting news," Carey tweeted while mentioning an official Twitter account for the movie.

Along with the announcement, Carey also attached a teaser video in which she can be seen donning red-and-black plaid pajamas while holding a puppy. 

"I don't want a love for Christmas, there is just one thing I need," she says in the video. 

"All I Want for Christmas is you" follows young Carey, who sees a puppy named Princess at the pet store and suddenly knows exactly what she wants for Christmas. But she must prove that she can pet-sit Jack, a dog who turns Carey and her family's holiday preparations upside down. 

Narrated by Carey herself, the movie will feature a voice cast including Henry Winkler, Lacey Chabert, Breanna Yde, Phil Morris, Laya Hayes and Keiko Agena. 

Singer Mariah Carey has announced that her 1994 hit song All I want for Christmas is you will be adapted into an animated movie.

Carey made the announcement over Twitter on Tuesday.

"My song is becoming a movie! You're the first to hear about this exciting news," Carey tweeted while mentioning an official Twitter account for the movie.

Along with the announcement, Carey also attached a teaser video in which she can be seen donning red-and-black plaid pajamas while holding a puppy. 

"I don't want a love for Christmas, there is just one thing I need," she says in the video. 

"All I Want for Christmas is you" follows young Carey, who sees a puppy named Princess at the pet store and suddenly knows exactly what she wants for Christmas. But she must prove that she can pet-sit Jack, a dog who turns Carey and her family's holiday preparations upside down. 

Narrated by Carey herself, the movie will feature a voice cast including Henry Winkler, Lacey Chabert, Breanna Yde, Phil Morris, Laya Hayes and Keiko Agena. 

Juventus forward Paulo Dybala is in doubt for Argentina's 2018 football World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia due to a leg injury.

The 23-year-old did not train with Argentina's squad in Buenos Aires on Tuesday as he struggles to recover from a thigh strain he suffered during Juventus 1-0 win over Sampdoria in the Serie A on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Reports in Argentine media said Dybala was likely to miss the clash with Chile at the Monumental Stadium but could still be available for the duel against Bolivia in La Paz next Tuesday.

His absence on Thursday could hand a starting berth to Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, who had been expected to start the match on the bench.

Argentina will also be without Aguero's Manchester City teammate Pablo Zabaleta for the fixtures because of a thigh injury.

Argentina are currently fifth in the South American zone World Cup qualifying standings, eight points behind leaders Brazil.

The top four teams from South America will automatically qualify for the tournament in Russia while the fifth-ranked side will earn a playoff spot.

Juventus forward Paulo Dybala is in doubt for Argentina's 2018 football World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia due to a leg injury.

The 23-year-old did not train with Argentina's squad in Buenos Aires on Tuesday as he struggles to recover from a thigh strain he suffered during Juventus 1-0 win over Sampdoria in the Serie A on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Reports in Argentine media said Dybala was likely to miss the clash with Chile at the Monumental Stadium but could still be available for the duel against Bolivia in La Paz next Tuesday.

His absence on Thursday could hand a starting berth to Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, who had been expected to start the match on the bench.

Argentina will also be without Aguero's Manchester City teammate Pablo Zabaleta for the fixtures because of a thigh injury.

Argentina are currently fifth in the South American zone World Cup qualifying standings, eight points behind leaders Brazil.

The top four teams from South America will automatically qualify for the tournament in Russia while the fifth-ranked side will earn a playoff spot.

The first woman to serve on Facebook's board, who is now the Social media giants Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg has announced the release of her latest book, which focusses on finding meaning and happiness after an adversity.

Titled "Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy," the book has been co-written with author Adam Grant. 

In a Facebook post, Sandberg said that the book focuses on how she learned to find meaning and happiness after the sudden death of her husband, Dave Goldberg, in 2015. 

The title, Sandberg said, has been inspired by a conversation with a friend. 

"A few weeks after my husband Dave died, I was talking to my friend Phil Deutch about a father-son activity that Dave was not here to do. We came up with a plan for someone to fill in so my son would not have to miss out. I cried, 'But I want Dave.' Phil put his arm around me and said, 'Option A is not available. So let's just kick the shit out of Option B,'" Sandberg wrote in a post on Facebook. 

"That became my mantra, and for the past two years I've tried hard to find meaning and happiness in the wake of our despair." 

"Because no one's life is perfect, we all live some form of Option B," she wrote. "It's my deepest hope that Option B will help others learn what I learned: that when life pulls you under, you can kick against the bottom, break the surface, and breathe again."

Sandberg, who previously authored "Lean In" in 2012, she was named in the Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time magazine.

As the Maharashtra resident doctors' strike entered the third day, the state government on Wednesday gave strong warning to the protesting doctors and asked them to resume duty or face action.

"Those doctors who don't return to work by 8 pm on Wednesday will lose 6 months' salary," state Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan was quoted as saying by a news agency.

Meanwhile, Dean of Government Medical College, Nagpur on Wednesday suspended 301 resident doctors in the wake of the strike. In another development, a show cause notice has also been issued by the Bombay Municipal Corporation to the 1,200 protesting doctors.

The Bombay High Court, which was expected to hear the matter on junior doctors' mass leave on Wednesday, will most likely hear it on Thursday.

Reports suggest that because of unavailability of the CJ's bench, the hearing has been postponed to another day.

For the third consecutive day on Wednesday, over 3,000 resident doctors continued their mass casual leave protest against growing incidents of attacks by patients' relatives on them.

Medical services in 17 government hospitals in Maharashtra, including four in Mumbai, were severely affected because of the strike.

As the Maharashtra resident doctors' strike entered the third day, the state government on Wednesday gave strong warning to the protesting doctors and asked them to resume duty or face action.

"Those doctors who don't return to work by 8 pm on Wednesday will lose 6 months' salary," state Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan was quoted as saying by a news agency.

Meanwhile, Dean of Government Medical College, Nagpur on Wednesday suspended 301 resident doctors in the wake of the strike. In another development, a show cause notice has also been issued by the Bombay Municipal Corporation to the 1,200 protesting doctors.

The Bombay High Court, which was expected to hear the matter on junior doctors' mass leave on Wednesday, will most likely hear it on Thursday.

Reports suggest that because of unavailability of the CJ's bench, the hearing has been postponed to another day.

For the third consecutive day on Wednesday, over 3,000 resident doctors continued their mass casual leave protest against growing incidents of attacks by patients' relatives on them.

Medical services in 17 government hospitals in Maharashtra, including four in Mumbai, were severely affected because of the strike.

The ‘Earth Hour’ is perhaps the biggest global movement against climate change that has only grown bigger with each passing year ever since its inception in 2007.

This year marks the 11th edition of the annual event and here’s a quick guide to the mega campaign so that you may join the effort to save mother earth.

What is Earth Hour?

It’s a global campaign started by WWF in 2007 in Sydney urging people across the globe to switch off their lights for one hour between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm once every year. The idea is to spread awareness on the ill effects of climate change.

When is it being observed?

Earth Hour 2017 is on March 25, Saturday at 8:30 pm local time. Millions of people from more than 170 countries will be participating to send out the message that they care about the planet.

Why should lights be turned off?

It’s not about conserving electricity but sending out a collective message. The campaign aims to unite the people across the globe in the fight against climate change. 

Which landmarks will switch off the lights this year?

Prominent landmarks that have signed up this year include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Big Ben along with UNESCO World Heritage sites like the Acropolis in Athens and Edinburgh Castle.

How can you participate?

It’s simple, just turn off all your lights and electronic appliances on Saturday between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm. If you want to go the extra mile then WWF suggests on its website that people can “donate five Facebook posts between 22-25 March to help Earth Hour and WWF shine a light on climate action.”

The ‘Earth Hour’ is perhaps the biggest global movement against climate change that has only grown bigger with each passing year ever since its inception in 2007.

This year marks the 11th edition of the annual event and here’s a quick guide to the mega campaign so that you may join the effort to save mother earth.

What is Earth Hour?

It’s a global campaign started by WWF in 2007 in Sydney urging people across the globe to switch off their lights for one hour between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm once every year. The idea is to spread awareness on the ill effects of climate change.

When is it being observed?

Earth Hour 2017 is on March 25, Saturday at 8:30 pm local time. Millions of people from more than 170 countries will be participating to send out the message that they care about the planet.

Why should lights be turned off?

It’s not about conserving electricity but sending out a collective message. The campaign aims to unite the people across the globe in the fight against climate change. 

Which landmarks will switch off the lights this year?

Prominent landmarks that have signed up this year include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Big Ben along with UNESCO World Heritage sites like the Acropolis in Athens and Edinburgh Castle.

How can you participate?

It’s simple, just turn off all your lights and electronic appliances on Saturday between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm. If you want to go the extra mile then WWF suggests on its website that people can “donate five Facebook posts between 22-25 March to help Earth Hour and WWF shine a light on climate action.”

The Proposed Route Will Reduce The Distance Between The Two Capitals By 40kms. Branching Out From The Delhi-Gurugram Speedway, It Will Pass Through Seven Districts.

A big relief is coming for people residing and frequently travelling between Delhi and Jaipur. The plan for a new 195km super expressway project, connecting the two cities, has been finalised and the land acquisition for the same has begun in full swing.

The 195km speedway will branch out from the Delhi-Gurugram express way near Kherkhi Daula toll plaza and will pass through seven districts before culminating at Chandwaji in Jaipur district. It will be a six-lane road with three on each side. What’s interesting about this route is the fact that it will reduce the distance by 40km and the travelling time by 2-3 hours.

Earlier, Union road transport and highways minister, Nitin Gadkari had said that the time between Delhi-Jaipur will be reduced to 90 minutes via the previously proposed expressway. It was going to be a 226km greenfield expressway, which would have started from the Indira Gandhi International airport, Delhi and terminated at Daulatpura, Jaipur. However, that speedway plan was scrapped as it incurred higher acquisition and relocation costs.

Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI (National Highway Authority of India), said, “Land has been identified and the acquisition process has been initiated. There are two sections of the project in Haryana and Rajasthan. The acquisition process has started on the Haryana side.”

Presently, the distance between Delhi and Jaipur is 235km and the time taken to travel revolves around 4-5 hours. Plus, the current highway is too crowded, and the frequent traffic jams further stretch the time further.

The expected building cost of this super expressway will be around Rs 6,530 crores, in addition to the Rs 5,000 crores required for rehabilitation and resettlement of the population. The total land required for the project is 1755 hectares, of which 360.65 hectares is government’s land, while 38 hectares comes in protected forest in Haryana and Rajasthan and 1.22 hectares is a reserve forest area. It will be pass through 423 villages of Gurugram, Jhajjar, Rewari, Mahendergarh, Alwar, Sikar and Jaipur.

Source: CarDekho

The Proposed Route Will Reduce The Distance Between The Two Capitals By 40kms. Branching Out From The Delhi-Gurugram Speedway, It Will Pass Through Seven Districts.

A big relief is coming for people residing and frequently travelling between Delhi and Jaipur. The plan for a new 195km super expressway project, connecting the two cities, has been finalised and the land acquisition for the same has begun in full swing.

The 195km speedway will branch out from the Delhi-Gurugram express way near Kherkhi Daula toll plaza and will pass through seven districts before culminating at Chandwaji in Jaipur district. It will be a six-lane road with three on each side. What’s interesting about this route is the fact that it will reduce the distance by 40km and the travelling time by 2-3 hours.

Earlier, Union road transport and highways minister, Nitin Gadkari had said that the time between Delhi-Jaipur will be reduced to 90 minutes via the previously proposed expressway. It was going to be a 226km greenfield expressway, which would have started from the Indira Gandhi International airport, Delhi and terminated at Daulatpura, Jaipur. However, that speedway plan was scrapped as it incurred higher acquisition and relocation costs.

Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI (National Highway Authority of India), said, “Land has been identified and the acquisition process has been initiated. There are two sections of the project in Haryana and Rajasthan. The acquisition process has started on the Haryana side.”

Presently, the distance between Delhi and Jaipur is 235km and the time taken to travel revolves around 4-5 hours. Plus, the current highway is too crowded, and the frequent traffic jams further stretch the time further.

The expected building cost of this super expressway will be around Rs 6,530 crores, in addition to the Rs 5,000 crores required for rehabilitation and resettlement of the population. The total land required for the project is 1755 hectares, of which 360.65 hectares is government’s land, while 38 hectares comes in protected forest in Haryana and Rajasthan and 1.22 hectares is a reserve forest area. It will be pass through 423 villages of Gurugram, Jhajjar, Rewari, Mahendergarh, Alwar, Sikar and Jaipur.

Source: CarDekho

Assamese singer Papon, who has sung a song on the Brahmaputra river with Amitabh Bachchan, has invited the Bollywood megastar to visit Assam soon.

Papon, whose real name is Angaraag Mahanta, has composed an anthem for the debut edition of Namami Brahmaputra — a river festival. The song has been voiced by celebrities like Amitabh, Arijit Singh, and Vishal-Shekhar.

Papon tweeted: "Humbled by your gestures my lovely music fraternity and Amitabh ji. Please come to Assam soon. Forever grateful!"

The five-day festival, which will be held from March 31 to April 4, will celebrate Assam's art, heritage and culture. 

The festival anthem, called "Namami Brahmaputra", was released by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Guwahati on Wednesday. Documentary filmmaker Parasher Baruah has directed the video. 

Papon, who has made a place for himself in Bollywood with his heartwarming tracks like "Jiyein kyun", "Kyun", "Zindagi aisi waisi" and "Kaun mera", says he wanted the song to have a quintessential Assamese flavour. 

"Like the mighty and grand Brahmaputra, I wanted the song to reflect those qualities. Consciously, I also wanted to showcase the Vaishnavite classical music system and used 'bol' using the khol (drum-like instrument made of terracotta, usually played to accompany devotional music)," Papon said in a statement. 

It was Papon's idea to involve Bollywood celebrities in the initiative.

He said: "The government asked me to compose the theme song for the festival that celebrates Brahmaputra and since the objective of the festival is to showcase Assam, I felt that if the song was sung by singers from all over the country, it would have a wider reach."

"For the Assamese version, I have worked with a generation of singers starting with my mother Archana Mahanta, who is 70, to Rupam Bhuyan who is the youngest of the lot," says the singer and composer, who won multiple accolades for his rendition of "Moh moh ke dhaage". 

Assamese singer Papon, who has sung a song on the Brahmaputra river with Amitabh Bachchan, has invited the Bollywood megastar to visit Assam soon.

Papon, whose real name is Angaraag Mahanta, has composed an anthem for the debut edition of Namami Brahmaputra — a river festival. The song has been voiced by celebrities like Amitabh, Arijit Singh, and Vishal-Shekhar.

Papon tweeted: "Humbled by your gestures my lovely music fraternity and Amitabh ji. Please come to Assam soon. Forever grateful!"

The five-day festival, which will be held from March 31 to April 4, will celebrate Assam's art, heritage and culture. 

The festival anthem, called "Namami Brahmaputra", was released by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Guwahati on Wednesday. Documentary filmmaker Parasher Baruah has directed the video. 

Papon, who has made a place for himself in Bollywood with his heartwarming tracks like "Jiyein kyun", "Kyun", "Zindagi aisi waisi" and "Kaun mera", says he wanted the song to have a quintessential Assamese flavour. 

"Like the mighty and grand Brahmaputra, I wanted the song to reflect those qualities. Consciously, I also wanted to showcase the Vaishnavite classical music system and used 'bol' using the khol (drum-like instrument made of terracotta, usually played to accompany devotional music)," Papon said in a statement. 

It was Papon's idea to involve Bollywood celebrities in the initiative.

He said: "The government asked me to compose the theme song for the festival that celebrates Brahmaputra and since the objective of the festival is to showcase Assam, I felt that if the song was sung by singers from all over the country, it would have a wider reach."

"For the Assamese version, I have worked with a generation of singers starting with my mother Archana Mahanta, who is 70, to Rupam Bhuyan who is the youngest of the lot," says the singer and composer, who won multiple accolades for his rendition of "Moh moh ke dhaage". 

The Election Commission is expected to decide on Wednesday the allocation of "two leaves" symbol to one of the factions of Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK.

The ruling faction is led by now jailed General Secretary VK Sasikala while the other is headed by former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.

The poll panel has three options: allot the symbol to the Sasikala or the Panneerselvam factions or, in a worse case scenario, freeze the symbol.

The allotment of the symbol is important as election will be held on April 12 to the Tamil Nadu Assembly from the RK Nagar constituency, which was represented by the late J Jayalalithaa.

"We are confident of getting the symbol. The majority of the MLAs are on our side. The government is also ours," AIADMK spokesperson Avadi Kumar said.

AIADMK Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran will be contesting in RK Nagar on behalf of the ruling party.

The Panneerselvam faction has fielded E Madhusudanan.